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In early 2011, Danaher was contemplating the acquisition of Beckman Coulter. With $3.7 billion of revenues in 2010 and $431 million in operating profits, California-based Beckman Coulter was a global leader in blood cell count diagnostic systems and also supplied a wide range of clinical research equipment. The USA accounted for 46% of sales. The company had delivered almost 7% growth in revenues and earnings for over a decade, but 2010 had been fraught with problems. Two earnings warnings, a recall of an important blood test, and a dispute with the Federal Drug Administration over regulatory approval were all weighing on the company. In September 2010, the stock price hit a low of $48, down from a 2009 high of $60, valuing the business at $4.0 billion. The CEO resigned. In December, the company announced that it had put itself up for sale; the stock price jumped to $72, suggesting that the markets expected a suitor to pay in the region of $6 billion. Interest was indeed high with a number of trade investors, including Danaher, vying with private equity groups for the company. Danaher's CEO, Larry Culp, had to decide whether it made sense to bid and, if so, at what price.

In 2012, CarMax was the leading retailer of secondhand cars in the United States and a fast-growing competitor in the used car auction market. After its founding in 1993 by Circuit City's management, CarMax had grown rapidly. The company had been profitable since 2000 and independent from its parent company since 2002. While Circuit City went bankrupt in 2009 under pressure from Best Buy and challenging economic conditions, CarMax flourished and expanded through the economic crisis. Fiscal 2012 revenue reached $10.5 billion and net income, a record $413 million. However, CarMax still only accounted for less than 3% of the fragmented secondhand car market. Additionally, it was keen to avoid the fate of its parent and to stay ahead of copycat competitors. What should CarMax do to grow its market position and continue its success in used car retailing and auctioning?

In 2014, Nestlé was the largest producer of packaged foods and beverages in the world. 2013 revenues were $103.7 billion and operating profits $16.1 billion (15.5% of sales). The company owned 29 mega brands, each generating more than Euro 1 billion ($1.25 billion). Based in Switzerland, Nestlé was one of the most global players in the sector, and more than a third of its revenues came from developing markets. Oxfam consistently ranked Nestlé number one in the world's top ten food companies for the way it addressed the issues impacting the lives of people living in poverty around the world.
Nestlé's size and social impact posed challenges for CEO Paul Bulke and his leadership team. To meet the company's target of 5-6% annual organic growth, the team needed to add over $5 billion in sales annually. Profitability was also an issue; although Nestlé's operating margins had been rising, they did not compare favorably with some of its major competitors. Meanwhile, pressures from the supply side included increasingly volatile material prices, demands for more supply chain security, and calls for ever-more social responsibility towards developing market suppliers.
Bulke did not see the need for major acquisitions to maintain the momentum at Nestlé. He had identified 4 platforms for organic growth: health, nutrition and wellness for all Nestlé products; a greater focus on emerging markets, providing good nutrition at affordable prices; out-of-home consumption in developed markets; and premiumization, luxury niche products commanding brand premiums and higher margins. Would this be enough to sustain Nestlé's long record of success?